Post Deathly Hallows
by Irishgirl14
Summary: Continuing after Deathly Hallows, before the Epilogue
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Harry opened his eyes to find Kreacher staring at him. He lurched. "Kreacher, you frightened me."

"Kreacher is sorry, Master Harry, but Kreacher has the food his master requested."

Harry sat up. "Thank you, Kreacher. Just sit it down somewhere."

Kreacher sat the tray of food down on Harry's bedside table. "Master Harry's friends requested that Kreacher inform Master that they are in the Great Hall and that Master should send Kreacher to get them if and when Master wishes to see them."

"Thank you for telling me, Kreacher. I'm glad you did what they asked you to." Harry wanted to make sure that the elf knew that it was acceptable to do what Ron and Hermione told him to. "Do you know if they've gotten any sleep yet, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher does not know for sure, Master Harry, but Kreacher thinks not. When Master's friends spoke to Kreacher, they seemed un-rested to the effect that neither could hardly stand nor talk."

Harry smiled. _And they call me a noble git._ "Kreacher, please ask Ron and Hermione to come up here. Ask if they've eaten, and if they haven't, bring some food up here for them."

"Yes, Master Harry. Right away." And Kreacher disapparated.

Several minutes later, Ron and Hermione stumbled into the boys' dorm and promptly yawned just as Kreacher apparated in with another tray of food.

"Kreacher has done as Master Harry ordered. He told Master's friends of Master's request and brought them food."

"Thank you, Kreacher." While waiting for Ron and Hermione, Harry had been thinking about something that was bothering him. "Kreacher, please go and tell Professor McGonagall that Professor Snape's body is in the Shrieking Shack. Ask her to send someone to retrieve it, but not to place it with the deatheaters. He deserves to be with the other Order members, but I understand the impracticality of that. Just tell her to trust me about him for now, and I'll personally explain everything to her later." Harry paused. "And Kreacher, please make sure that she doesn't put him with the deatheaters, but be subtle."

"Of course, Master Harry," Kreacher responded before he disapparated.

"I still can't believe that that's Kreacher," Ron commented.

"And I can't believe that you two haven't passed out from exhaustion already," Harry scolded them.

"I am awfully tired," Hermione said nonchalantly.

"You two should sleep. I'm going to go find Ginny and talk to her."

Ron looked ready to protest, but Hermione silenced him with a kiss. "Leave them be, Ronald." She smiled gently at him. Harry walked toward the door. Turning around to bid his friends goodbye, he saw that they were already asleep in each other's arms lying in Ron's bed.

Harry walked down the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. He was prepared to search the entire castle for Ginny, but he didn't need to. She was sitting in front of the fireplace staring into a roaring fire. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but no tears were falling now.

"Ginny," Harry whispered, sorrow coloring his voice.

She heard him and turned. He could see that her eyes were filled with pain. It killed him to see her in this state, and his heart clenched with guilt as he realized that at least some of it was his fault. He kneeled down next to her, never taking his eyes off of hers. "Oh, Ginny."

The pained tone of his voice pushed her over the edge, and she collapsed onto him and began to sob.

"Fred, Remus, Tonks, Connor; all of them dead, why?" she sobbed.

Harry joined in her grief. "I don't know, Ginny. I don't know," he cried.

They stayed like that for hours, crying in their mutual grief. Finally, they both fell asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace, Harry holding Ginny securely in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Please don't expect updates this often on a usual bases. I don't have a lot of time to work on my stories. What college student does?

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CHAPTER TWO

The next morning, Harry woke to screaming coming from the corridor. He looked down at Ginny, who was awake as well. They both stood with raised wands and crept toward the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry saw Ron and Hermione reach the bottom of the stairs and signaled to them to stay quiet. Just as the four reached the portrait frame, it burst open to reveal a very frazzled Molly Weasley. The four lowered their wands as Molly gathered them all in a giant hug.

"We didn't know where you were; we were so worried!" She tried to sound scolding, but mostly, she just sounded worried.

"We're sorry, Mum. We fell asleep here last night before we had the chance to tell anyone where we were," Ginny explained, hoping to calm her mother.

"Yeah," Ron added. "We weren't planning on being asleep this long."

Molly was pacified. "Oh, well, you deserved a good night's sleep after the battle."

_If only that was the only reason Ron, Hermione, and I were so tired._ Harry tried to hide his grimace, but Ginny's frown told him that she had seen it.

At that moment the distraction Harry was craving came in the form of Kreacher who had just apparated into the Common Room with a loud pop.

"Master Harry, Professor McGonagall bid Kreacher last night to tell Master that she requests his immediate presence to discuss his instructions. But Master Harry looked so peaceful when Kreacher returned that Kreacher refused to wake him and returned to tell her that the meeting would have to wait because Master was asleep and that Kreacher would bid Master come when he awoke. And now Master Harry is awake and looking well-rested."

Molly stared at Kreacher as if doubting that he was really there. Harry chuckled at her and Ginny's expression. "Thank you, Kreacher. Please go and tell Professor McGonagall that I will meet with her now. I just need to know where to meet her."

Kreacher bowed and disapparated.

"Do you want us to go with you, Harry?" Hermione inquired of her friend.

"No, Hermione. That's alright. You all go on down to the Great Hall for breakfast."

Molly, Ron, and Hermione all headed out of the portrait opening. Ginny stayed behind. "Harry, we need to talk."

"I know," Harry responded. "And talking with you is my top priority, but Professor McGonagall has been waiting all night for an explanation that she deserves."

"I deserve one too, Harry."

"Yes, you do. And I promise you that you will get that explanation as soon as you want it, even if it means asking the professor to wait a little longer."

Ginny chuckled. "You're becoming as proficient as Mum at guilt trips. Go. Talk to McGonagall. Then, come find me, and we'll talk."

Harry gave her a huge smile. "Thank you, Ginny." He kissed her forehead.

They walked down to the Great Hall together, attracting every eye they passed. As they reached the doors, Professor McGonagall came hurrying out. "Mr. Potter, with me please."

"Go on, Ginny. I'll see you later," Harry smiled.

Ginny entered the Great Hall, and Harry fell into step behind McGonagall. She led him to the Headmaster's office. The giant gargoyle did not protest as they climbed the stairs. Once inside, McGonagall turned to face Harry.

"Now, Mr. Potter. What is all this business about Snape?"

"Professor Snape," Harry corrected, his lips quirking. "Odd, isn't it? A year ago you would have been correcting me. Strange, how quickly things change."

"And why, exactly, have your opinions changed so much that you demand, with no explanation, that his body be placed with those who warrant the greatest honor?"

Harry's demeanor became sober. "Because without Professor Snape, we might never have won this war. You see, Professor, right before he died from the snake bite, Professor Snape gave me his memories. I immediately came up here to use the pensieve. If there is one thing I'm certain of in this whole big mess we call war, it's that, from the moment Professor Snape betrayed Voldemort seventeen years ago, his loyalty to Dumbledore and to Dumbledore's cause never wavered."

McGonagall opened her mouth and then closed it, at a loss for words.

"Professor, I expect that you want further proof than my word, and, as such, you are more than welcome to use the pensieve. I did not remove Snape's memory. However, I would ask that I could leave you to discover the truth while I have a talk with someone who deserves answers as much as you."

McGonagall was flabbergasted. It took a few seconds for her to gather herself in order to reply. "Yes, of course you may go. If Snape's memories have the same effect on me as they obviously did on you, I assure you that he will receive every honor that his actions warrant."

"Thank you, Professor. I assure you that he does deserve them."

Harry exited the office and headed down to the Great Hall as that was the last place he had seen Ginny. Careful to make sure that no one was looking, he slipped on his invisibility cloak, not ready to face all those people whose loved ones died because of him.

The doors were open, and as he walked in, he looked in all directions for a glimpse of read hair. Finally, he saw it at the far length of the Gryffindor table, though no one was sitting by House this morning. He approached her slowly, his mind barely registering that she was sitting surrounded by her family, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. He stopped behind her and reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.

"Ginny," he whispered as his hand made contact. She jumped. "Shhh. It's just me."

She relaxed under his hand. "Harry."

"Come with me?"

"Of course." Ginny stood up to leave.

Molly noticed the movement. "Where are you going, Ginny dear?"

Ginny smiled indulgently at her mother. "I'm going to go talk with Harry."

"But Harry is in a meeting with McGonagall, dear."

"No, I'm not Mrs. Weasley," Harry answered, loud enough for Molly to hear but not loud enough to draw attention to himself.

Molly started, as did those near him who heard his voice. "Oh, Harry. I didn't see you there, dear."

"That's kind of the point of an invisibility cloak, Mum," Ginny said, eager to be alone with Harry.

"Ginny…" Arthur started.

"Oh, no, dear. She's quite right," Molly interrupted. "You two go ahead, but please be safe. If something happened to either of you…"

"Oh, Mum." Ginny leaned down to hug her mother who was tearing up. "Nothing's going to happen to us. I promise."

"I won't let anything or anyone hurt Ginny, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly tried to smile. "I know that, dear, but a mother worries, you know. Now, go on."

Ginny sent her mother another smile before walking toward the doors, her senses telling her that Harry was following.

Once they were out of the Great Hall, Harry removed his invisibility cloak and turned to face Ginny. "Where did you want to talk?" he asked quietly, taking a step closer to her.

Ginny took a step toward him as well. "What about the Room of Requirement?"

"It might not be functioning. We kind of destroyed it after we asked you to step out. But we can go look."

"Okay."

They linked hands and began to slowly walk towards the Room of Requirement. Neither of them said anything, content to be together again.

Arriving on the seventh floor, they separated their hands, and Harry crossed in front of the wall three times. _I need a room to talk comfortably in, a room that feels warm and safe._ A door appeared.

"I guess it's still working," Ginny commented.

Harry nodded. He reached back to link his hand with Ginny's again, and together they crossed the threshold of the door into the Come and Go Room.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer (Forgot this the last chapters): None of the characters are mine!

Please don't expect updates this often on a usual bases. I don't have a lot of time to work on my stories. What college student does?

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CHAPTER THREE

They sat down facing each other. They stared at each other, neither one saying anything for almost five minutes. Then, they both broke the silence at the same moment.

"Harry."

"Ginny."

Both stopped, looked down, and looked back up with small smiles on their faces.

"You go ahead, Harry."

Harry could tell by her voice that it was non-negotiable. He looked down, gathering his courage, hoping against hope that she would not do what he thought she would. "Ginny, before I say anything else, I have to tell you that I'm sorry, so, so sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you by breaking up with you, I'm sorry that I wasn't here to protect you this year, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you what I was doing this year, I'm sorry that F-Fred died, I'm just sorry about everything that happened that hurt you, because I can't stand to see you hurting."

Here, Ginny interrupted. "Do you know what hurt me more than _any_ of that?"

"What?" Harry whispered, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Hearing Voldemort say you were dead and seeing Hagrid carrying your body." She paused. Harry wasn't taking this well, but she had to say it. He needed to understand. "That killed me inside, Harry. I was so angry at Voldemort. I hated him. I would've tried to kill him had I not been held back. But I was also filled with grief. I was more upset when I thought you were dead than I was when I learned of F-Fred's death. I can learn to live without Fred. It'll be hard, but possible. I would never have learned to live without you. When I thought you were dead, I died too. I would've stayed dead for a long time, if not for forever, if you had really died." She stopped, not knowing what else she could say.

Harry didn't know what to say to make her feel better, so he just said, "Ginny, I love you, and, if you'll have me, I want to be with you and be allowed to love you with all my heart for as long as I live."

Ginny had tears in her eyes. She looked down. Harry felt dread enter his body, but it could not completely push out the hope her earlier words had created. Ginny looked up and suddenly leaned forward and clutched tightly onto Harry, crying hysterically. Harry could barely make out her words through her tears. "I love you too, Harry. Of course I'll have you." He felt happier than he'd ever been since Voldemort's return at the end of his fourth year.

About fifteen minutes later, Ginny had stopped her tears and dried her eyes, though they did still look a little red, not that Harry would ever tell her this.

"Harry?" she began slowly and quietly. Harry thought he knew where this was going. "What have you been doing this past year? What's happened to you?"

Harry had been expecting this question. He knew that he would eventually tell her the complete truth about everything; he couldn't hide it from her forever anyway. But he also knew that he wasn't ready to say it, and she wasn't ready to hear it either, though she probably thought otherwise. He didn't want to lie to her, so he hesitantly answered, "Ginny, I love you, and I promise you that, when I'm ready to talk about it, I _will_ tell you the complete story, but I'm not ready today, right now. I'm sorry, but I'm not. I can't do it now…"

Ginny kissed his cheek to stop his rambling. "I understand. I won't say I'm happy about waiting, but I do understand. I was that way after my first year. Thank you, though."

"For what?"

"For not trying to 'protect me' from the truth. I need to know for the sake of my sanity. But I do understand, truly, that you're not ready. But know that I'm here for you when you are."

"You don't know just how much that means to me. I'm happier than I've been in a long time."

"I'm glad."


End file.
